Board of Education Fills Two Key District-level Leadership Vacancies

5/22/2018

During its regular meeting on May 21, 2018, the Westerville City School District (WCSD) Board of Education approved the employment of Nicole Marshall as Treasurer/CFO and Dr. Paul Hopkins as Executive Director of Human Resources/Employee Relations.

Nicole Marshall, Treasurer/CFO
Nicole Marshall joins Westerville City Schools from Fairborn City Schools, where she served as Treasurer/CFO since 2014. She also worked as the Assistant Treasurer for Kettering City Schools from 2011 to 2014 and was a Project Accountant II in the State Auditor’s Office from 2005 to 2011.

“After completing an extensive and thorough search process, we are pleased to welcome Nicole to the district’s Leadership Team as our next Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer,” said Board of Education President Gerrie Cotter. “Nicole has the depth and breadth of skills necessary to manage the day-to-day fiscal operations of a large school system. We were particularly impressed with the work she has done in the areas of long-range planning, securing grants, and facilities initiatives.”

Marshall holds both a School Treasurer License and a School Business Manager License from the Ohio Department of Education. She attended Shawnee State University and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting. In addition to completing the Kettering Leadership Academy, Marshall’s continuing education includes university coursework in public school law, public school finance, leadership and organizational behavior, management of human resources, marketing management and planning, and research for managers. She is a past president of the Miami Valley School Business Officials and is active with the Ohio Association of School Business Officials as a current member of their Foundation Board.

The Ohio School Boards Association, now in its 61st year of service to public education, facilitated the search process on behalf of the WCSD Board of Education. Marshall’s first day of employment is July 1, 2018. She fills a vacancy created last January due to the medical disability retirement of former Treasurer/CFO Bart Griffith. Board members unanimously approved a three-year contract with Marshall at an initial base salary of $150,000 per year.

“I would be remiss if I didn’t extend our thanks to Assistant Treasurer Laura Hendricks, who will continue to serve as our Interim Treasurer until Nicole joins us in several weeks,” Cotter said. “Laura has done an exceptional job and we are extremely grateful for her willingness to step in and keep our fiscal operations running smoothly until we completed the search for our next Treasurer.”

Marshall said WCSD is well known for its academic excellence and enjoys the reputation of being a “destination district” where people want to work and live. She noted that she and her family visited the community when deciding whether to apply, and that they have returned to the area several more times since.

“Westerville is a beautiful city with loads of charm; my family and I fell in love with the city and the schools instantly,” Marshall said. “We’re excited about moving and becoming part of the community. I'm also very much looking forward to what the future holds for Westerville City Schools and being part of the district’s leadership team.”

Paul Hopkins, Ed.D.
Dr. Paul Hopkins joins WCSD from Battelle for Kids, where since 2014 he has served as Senior Director of Learning and Leading. He has worked as a Principal and Assistant Principal in York County Public Schools (Yorktown, VA); Director of Exceptional Education in Henrick County Public Schools (Henrico, VA); and Vice President of Operations, Human Resources/Curriculum at AdvancePath Academics, Inc. (Williamsburg, VA).

“We had an extremely strong candidate pool for this position,” said Superintendent Dr. John Kellogg. “After multiple interviews with members of our Executive Leadership Team, building-level leaders, Human Resources staff and others, Paul emerged as the candidate whose credentials and experience are best suited to lead our Office of Human Resources and Employee Relations, as well as bring additional benefits to our district.”

Hopkins completed his undergraduate work at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree with a double major in History and Secondary Education. He holds his Master of Education (Educational Policy, Planning & Leadership; General K-12 Administration) and his Doctor of Education (Educational Policy, Planning & Leadership) from the College of William and Mary.

Though Hopkins may work a few days as part of a transition plan, his first official day with WCSD is August 1, 2018. His initial one-year contract includes a base salary of $113,000. Hopkins fills a vacancy created by the departure of current Executive Director of Human Resources and Employee Relations Lori Lofton, who is leaving WCSD to become Assistant Superintendent of New Albany City Schools.

“I’m dedicated to servant leadership; approximately half of my past two decades in education has been spent in personnel, educational administration, labor negotiations and contract management, so I’m extremely pleased to be selected as the next Executive Director of Human Resources for Westerville Schools,” Hopkins said. “During my time at Battelle, I’ve worked with educational institutions across the nation, including some of the teachers, principals and district leaders right here in Westerville. I’m excited about the prospect of working with my new colleagues and joining them as a member of this district’s outstanding leadership team.”